Rod weeder



Feb. 17, 1953 T. E. KEMPLING ROD WEEDE R l2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Nov. 7, 1949 Feb. 17, 1953 T. E. KEMPLING ROD WEEDER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed NOV. '7, 1949 FIGB Thomas E, Kem ling Patented Feb. 17, 1953 ROD WEEDER Thomas E. Kempling, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada Application November 7, 1949, Serial No. 125,979 In Canada November 15, 1948 1 Claim.

1 My invention relates to new and useful improvements in rod weeders, an object of the invention being to provide a device of the charvacter herewithin described whereby both deep and shallow rooted weeds may be severed. from their roots.

A further object of my invention is to provide Aa device of the character herewithin described which leaves the soil in a well packed condition and at the same time deposits and maintains the majority of lumps and trash upon the surface thereof, thus assisting materially in the prevention of erosion.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is particularly adaptable to post-seeding cultivation.

Another object of my invention isV to provide a device of the character herewithin described which operates with the minimum trench formation therebehind.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described whereby the additional rods may readily be attached or detached for seeding or other purposes.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is readily adaptable for use with a conventional single rod weeder or which may be used to advantage with any elongated subsoil cultivator. Y

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is economical in manufacture, efficient in operation and which, due to the relatively small number of working parts, requires the minimum of maintenance thereto.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other objects and advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my rod weeder showing the location of the rods.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of my rod weeder in use illustrating the operation of my device within the sub soil.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different drawings.

In the science of agriculture, the use offrod weeders, particularly for post seeding cultiva.- tion, is becoming increasingly practical. `The conventional single rod weeder, while operating eiciently under specific circumstances, has Abeen found to be unsatisfactory in the majorityof cases. This is particularly noticeable when the land includes both deep and shallow rooted weeds, under which circumstances ,itl has been observed that the rod weeder, While servingu the deep rooted weeds, merely passes underneath weeds having shallow roots, thus leaving them comparatively undisturbed.

Therefore I have designed the rod weeder hereinafter to be described which incorporates one or more additional weeding rodssituated to the rear and in most instances, above, the primary rod which have the effect of disturbing the top soil to a greater extent (although having the same draft as a regular weeder) thereby completely severing the weed roots and depositing them upon the surface of the soil behind the machine. l

Proceeding therefore to describe my invention in detail, it will be seen upon reference to the accompanying drawings that the same comprises a rectangular chassis I constructed of angle iron or the like and having the transverse supporting members 2 rigidly bolted thereto. D'iagonally disposed bracings 3 supply rigidity to the assembly and V-shaped members 4 converge forwardly to a conventional tractor hitch assemly 5 by which the unit may be drawn behind a tractor or team.

Two ground engaging Wheels I3 are' carried upon the axle 'I supported in Suitable beari'ngs 8 mounted upon the relatively 'short members 9 of the aforementioned rectangular chassis 1I. The right-hand ground wheel with relation'to Figure 1 in this embodiment acts merely yas a supporting wheel, whereas the left-hand wheel specifically 'designated I0 supplies 'the drive for the rod weeder assembly collectively designated II.

The aforementioned transverse supporting members 2 extend rearwardly of the rectangular chassis I and are adapted to support the downwardly curved depending standards I2. The lowermost ends I3 of these standards are drilled to receive removable shoes I4 which carry the transversely situated elongated and slender under surface members I5 and I5 as will hereinafter be explained. The shoes I4 consist of drilled plates, pointed and sharpened upon the forward portions thereof, and contain suitable .ber-9 of the .rectangular chassis.

to drillings in the aforementioned standards I2 to which they may be attached by bolts or similar means.

The members I5 in this embodiment comprise rods of cylindrical or square (or other polygonal) conflgurationrotatably mounted within suitable bearings I6 'within the aforementioned shoes Il and reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings will show that the two rods are situated in parallel spaced relationship with what I designate as the superior surface I1 of 'the upper or rearwardly disposed rod .occupying a horizontal stratum of space above'the `superior surface I8 of the lowermost rod.

Rotation of these rods is provided by. thei ground wheel III, there being a chain sprocket' wheelfIS mounted integrally upon the ground wheel axle 1 between the said wheel and the outer mem- In order to -obtain theidesired `direction l'of "rotation lof the rods'IS and'v I5" therun of thechain-`20 is Arouted wheel I 9.1'Thegforwardly Asituatedrod weeder 'sprocketfsupported by the axle 25'extending between conyenientzframe members V26, receives the chain' zcand'referenceto `Figure'2 of the 'accompanying Ydrawings will :show rthat this sprocket' will -rotate in a vclockwise directionby virtue of the ,lower run of chain passing over 'the superior vsurface 'ofthe sprocketl I9. 'In this connection it is' assumed of course that `the'ground wheelis rotating in a counterclockwise direction dueto .the'forward motion of the rod'weeding assembly inthe direction vof' the arrow 21.

The drive from the axle'25 is transmitted .to the forward or lower weeding `rod I5 by means of theuniversal coupling assembly 28, the rear rodv I5 receiving the drive in the same direction as the forward rod, by means of the sprocket and chain assembly 29 'extending between kthe outboard end of the axleV and the rear rod weeder axle J3l) 'as clearly shown. in Figure i of the accompanying drawings.

i Having therefore explained my invention in 'With the rod weeder unit travelling in 'the forward direction, the drive is transmitted to '.therods "I5'and' I5 as hereinbefore described,

both rods rotatingbelow the topsoil layer'3'l in aclockwise direction with `reference to the drawings and. which I have' designated in at' least one o'f the accompanying claimsas, rotating rearwalclly.r ATheaforementioned shoes I4 4will conrtrol thedraft or depth at which 'the rods opcrate, the soil being displaced first by the forward "or lower rod thus severing the roots of the `relatively deep weeds, and then being further disturbed by the rear or upper rod operating in a different stratum, which has the effect of severing the relatively shallow-rooted weeds which otherwise would be permitted to grow. It is to be appreciated of course that the draft control hereinabove described may be replaced by other conventional methods such as a pair of wheels and adjusting levers or a form of screw adjustors, without detracting from the operation of my device.

Under certain circumstances it may be desirable to incorporate a further rotating rod or member tothe rear of the two rods mentioned in Athis embodiment, which would have the ef- :'fect:of stil1`further. disturbing the topsoil layer 'duringzthetweeding operation, and which would be driven in a similar manner as hereinbefore described.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as'vhereinabove described, Vand many `apparentlywidely different embodiments-of same made within `the Vspirit and scope of the 'claim withoutdeparting from such spirit' andscope, it is intended that Iall matter contained Hin the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative "only and not in a limiting'sense.

What I claim asmy-invention is:

A cultivator characterized by the combination with an elongated and slender undersurface member `for elevatinga topsoil layer during its passage through the groundyof another member also of elongated and slender proportions situated in parallel relationship to the iirst. herein mentioned member, and with at least the. superior surface area thereof lying in a horizontal stratum of space above that `occupied by the superior surface area of the rst mentioned member, and to the rear of said first mentioned member,.sald members ybeing located in such propinquity that they both treat the undersurface of atopsoil wave 'created by the implement beforejthejdisintegration of the soil at the underside portion of said wave and before the mass-cohesion of kthe soil at said underside portion thereof r.has disintegratedso that it does not fall between-Said `members, Yand means for ueffecting the rotation of said members so that the superiorsurfaces .thereof .move rearwardly when the weedenisin a state of' forward motion.

THOMAS E. KEMPLING.

AREFERENCES CITED The following rvreferences .are of record-,ln .the file of this patent:

.UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,165,019 Van Patten July 4,"1939 V2,323,452 Calkins et al July 6, 1943 

